Letters for September 6, 2018

Wrong conversation

Re “Savior” (cover story, Aug. 30):

There is a painful—almost humiliating—absence of foundational context to your cover piece: a conveniently selective timeline. You white males who author get to decide when the sob story starts—with but a lightning-quick tip of the hat to the Washo tribe, which any reader could have missed should they have blinked! (And no mention of the many other tribes who met a fate far worse than a bad driver from the Bay Area.)

Go back just a few generations before this story conveniently picked up. Europeans and settlers moving West systematically and mercilessly slaughtered the real “We were here first” crowd, allotted them some shitty land, and now find it necessary to pontificate like young babes about what ever shall they do about Californians.

And even more disorienting is the editor’s preface of “I am a Nevadan of at least two generations, so don’t look at me!” just before this editorial attempting to pose as an unbiased report which reminds readers that designation of “the other” is dangerous, yet in the editor’s letter he takes pains to ID himself, and the paper, as explicitly non-other.

I moved here with my family from California. We were pushed out of there only after we were pushed out of the Brooklyn neighborhood in which I was raised and could no longer afford to live in. We came here not to live, but to survive. We work hard, we are involved in the community—including as volunteers—and are by no means affluent. And according to your article, Nevadans were riding the coattails of Californians’ gambling habits until they weren’t. In my world travels, this reminds me of countries that claim to hate the U.S. until they need us to rescue them.

We are having the wrong conversation here. If you have been on this planet for more than five minutes you know that change is inevitable. Yes, Reno and Nevada as a whole are changing and will always change. Instead of fighting a losing battle, let’s talk about how we will handle that change. The housing situation is going to worsen. So will other things. And other things will get better. Let’s work on that as a community—something California never did—rather than pointing fingers and ignoring the history of humanity: We migrate. We will all one day be brown as we once were, and cultures change.

I’m sure Labor Day sales apply to tissues.

Jane Dornemann

Reno

A step too far

Re “The next step” (letters, Aug 30):

To quote, “Imagine, if you will, a man sitting alone in his Oval Office, trousers undone,” Stop! You got me! I’m thinking of and picturing Bill Clinton. Is he waiting for someone to come in or simply relaxing after someone just left? Do I need to read the rest of this letter?

Thom Waters

Reno

Horse sense

Re “Best of Northern Nevada” (cover story, Aug. 9):

On behalf of all wild horse advocates and the wild horse of the Virginia Range, I want to personally thank you and your staff for the beautiful, amazing work of art depicting our hero, Velma Johnston, a.k.a. Wild Horse Annie. The artwork is beautiful, and the halo around her head while holding an orphan foal is exactly the way Annie should be shown.

Her nickname was originally given her by her opponents in Congress as a derogatory name. They were mocking her and trying to make a nasty joke, but the name fit, and it stuck.

She is a true Nevada hero and we just wish our state would appreciate her and the monumental national work she did. Even Marilyn Monroe understood the great work Anne did, and starred in a movie with Clark Gable, filmed in and around the Reno area.

I was equally impressed with Jaxon Northon’s write-up, and pleased that he got the story correct. I was 11 years old in 1971 and sent my pennies to Wild Horse Annie’s group and also sent my letters to Congress, as she requested of children at that time.

We thank the RN&R for doing what, really, no other mainstream paper would do—honor the original wild horse advocate, Velma Johnston. Thank you again from all wild horse advocates here on the Virginia Range, and the horses, too.

Kelly Hyatt

Reno